Vatican still silent on peace talks between Ukraine and Russia

Vatican City. Photo from pixabay

Despite the initiative of US President Donald Trump to hold peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in the Vatican, the Holy See has not yet made any official statement. This leaves open questions about its potential role in the diplomatic process.

Reuters reports.

On Monday, Donald Trump, commenting on a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, for the first time publicly suggested the Vatican as a platform for negotiations to end the war. The next day, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that Pope Leo XIV had expressed his willingness to receive the parties for a peaceful dialogue. At the same time, the Vatican press service refrained from commenting and did not disclose the details of their conversation.

Italian religious scholar Massimo Faggioli believes that the Vatican is not yet actively involved in peacekeeping processes, as it seeks to avoid political interpretations in connection with the recent transition of power. He also noted that Western governments, in particular Italy, are putting pressure on the Vatican to engage in diplomatic efforts that have not yielded tangible results in the past.

Vatican officials continue to maintain a reserved stance. One of them, on condition of anonymity, explained that the Holy See is ready to participate in peace talks on global conflicts, but at the same time does not want to appear to be favourable to one of the parties.

In his address on 14 May, Pope Leo XIV said that the Vatican is ready to mediate in international conflicts, but did not directly mention Ukraine or Russia.

As a reminder, during a telephone conversation with European leaders, US President Donald Trump admitted that Vladimir Putin has no intention of stopping the war in Ukraine, as he believes that Russia is winning.